


FrostIron Collection

by FrostIron_ed (Thorki_ed)



Series: Art-inspired One-shots [1]
Category: The Avengers (2012), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-16
Updated: 2014-03-21
Packaged: 2017-11-10 02:28:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/461258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thorki_ed/pseuds/FrostIron_ed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of one-shots inspired by FrostIron works of art.</p><p>Check out the Thorki and Hiddlesworth ones in this series as well! :) xo</p><p>"67 Can Be a Milestone Too" (Teen, angst, death, established relationship)<br/>"Just a Slip of Tongue" (Teen, angst)<br/>"Death Won't Break Us" (Teen, violence, angst, death)<br/>"Gone Forever" (Teen, violence, angst, death, established relationship, Avenger!Loki)<br/>"For Us Alone" (Mature, non-graphic sex, angst/fluff, alcohol abuse, depression)<br/>"Hallowe'en, Take Two" (Mature, implied sexual activity, fluff)<br/>"Diet With Loki" (Mature, implied sexual activity, crack/humour)<br/><b> NEW -> :</b>"Just an Inch" (Teen, crack, grooming)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 67 Can Be a Milestone Too

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’ll love you until the day I die”
> 
>    
>   
> Inspired by [this beautiful piece.](http://bringmelokismjolnir.tumblr.com/post/27308799103/maverikloki-banshee-tao-so-what-if-loki) Courtesy of [Banshee-Tao.](http://banshee-tao.tumblr.com)

Loki tried to smile, he really did, but his efforts were futile when it came to man sitting across the small room from him. They sat in what used to be Tony’s workshop, but with his projects and technology stored away in a corner, the room was bare and a dismal shade of grey. It was probably the second hardest thing Tony’s ever had to do. His life’s work, the very extensions of his mind and body, all swept away to collect dust as he was forced to sit by in his wheelchair. 

The absolute hardest thing, however, was accepting that when he promised Loki “I’ll love you until the day I die”, he basically meant “I’ll love you for just a little while longer.”

Time had not been kind to him; but then again, he had not been kind to time. In a way, Tony’s still almost smug. He had escaped death countless times. Each year that crept by he knew Death was testing and mocking him, seeing just when he’d give up.

But he couldn’t. Not yet. He still had to perfect it.

He glanced at the thin stem he held between his trembling fingertips. It was cold and numbing, and he couldn’t tell past his tremors, but it seemed to hum with its energy. It glowed a hauntingly white, the slightest of blue undertones present.

Loki would be here any minute, and Tony covered up his little project, content to ask JARVIS to run the news for a while as he waited. 

“Happy birthday, my love,” Loki said softly to announce his arrival. As stealthy as he had been over 30 years ago, Loki made almost no noise padding his way over to where Tony sat. He approached the man who was wearing a burgundy sweater with comfortably fitted black pants, and Loki smiled. Tony’s hair and beard were dark greys and whites by now, but he thought Tony had never looked better. He told Tony so, who chuckled and responded with, “You tell me that every year.”

“And I mean it every year,” Loki chirped. He hasn’t changed one bit, Tony said in his mind, and the shallow beating in his chest grew heavier. And he won’t change a bit for as long as I live. It took all of his control to maintain a smile on his face after the thought.

Loki was dressed simply, but elegantly, and in the palm of one hand he held a cupcake out for Tony. A small “67” candle was placed in the middle and with a breath, Loki lit it before handing it over.

“Make your wish, birthday boy.”

Tony laughed at the use of “boy” but didn’t comment. He also didn’t need to think about his wish, as he had already made up his mind. He wished for the same thing, every year, and so far it had worked, so why not? He closed his eyes.

I wish for another year with the love of my life, I wish to share another birthday with the man who’s loved me all this time. Please.

When he blew out the small candle, the two men shared a warm, soft smile met with a tender kiss.

“I have something for you too, actually,” Tony stated.

Loki raised an eyebrow, “That’s not how birthdays are supposed to be done, Tony.”

“Since when have we done things the way they’re supposed to be done?” Tony challenged, which rendered Loki speechless as his face split into a wide smile.

He presented Loki with the glowing lily, watching Loki’s bright green eyes widen and light up with amazement. He took the delicate, perfect,flower between two fingers and fought to control his tears as the thrumming of power made its way through his slender fingers and down the entire length of his arms and spreading through his body.

“Oh Tony…” he said breathed softly. “This… This is the second most beautiful gift I’ve ever been given. Thank you.” He kissed Tony gently, gliding his thumb down the angle of Tony’s shoulder blade - a spot that he knew Tony loved to be touched.

“Only second?” Tony asked, almost offended.

“Only second to you,” Loki breathed in his ear as he embraced the man.

They shared the rest of the day in smiles and embraces, kisses and cuddles.

Tony never did end up getting his wish this year though.


	2. Just a Slip of Tongue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by this:
> 
>  

The fight wasn't even important. Nothing was important once Tony looked up to see Loki. 

"Fine, then it's over, whatever the fuck we were, it's done. We're through." 

The hard set scowl lines had vanished, dropped right off the unblemished face of his boyfr- **oh god** , his _former_ boyfriend -Had he really just said that?

Loki balled his fists at his sides, his nostrils flared as he tried to breathe calmly, jaw clenched. His delicate eyebrows created a small furrow in the middle of his forehead, his mouth opened ever so slightly, teeth grinding together to mince his words that never came.

But the worst part about it, were his eyes. A million shades of green, Tony had seen, but not this. He'd seen the light, grassy meadows when Loki laughed freely and it sounded like fairies prancing through the field, he'd seen the dark pine tree under the midnight moon when he received dreadful news or thought of Asgard. He'd even seen the emerald jewels shine so brightly when Loki was up to mischief, twinkling at the very thought of wreaking havoc.

But never this.

This deep, venomous green that shone through a layer of tears that refused to drop.

"Wait, Loki -" Tony pleaded, stepping forward to just take Loki back in his arms.

The god took a step backward in response, hands instinctively rising in front of him as if to say _back off._

Tony visibly winced at the gesture. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it... I didn't... I would never." 

Loki might think it was Tony's way of apologizing, or maybe Tony was being dramatic, but when Tony Stark dropped to his knees in that moment, it was because the pain in his heart was sharper than any piece of shrapnel.

It was the thought of losing Loki. It was the thought of hurting Loki. It was the pain of looking up at those eyes.

"I swear on my life, I didn't mean that. Not a single word. I promise I'll never say anything like that again."

Loki still said nothing. He stood, arms slightly raised in defence, keeping Tony Stark _out_. He gave up almost everything to be with Tony, a mortal, a man who infuriated him and made him smile at the same time. To even _think_ about Tony just _dropping_ him made the anger and hurt inside of him flare. It didn't matter what Tony said now, the aftermath of a mistake - it was all the same. Even watching Tony's chocolate eyes tearing as he begged on his knees couldn't change Loki's mind. What had been said stuck with Loki. 

"Please," Tony rasped, fighting to keep his voice from wavering. He slowly stood, hands trembling as he reached for Loki. When he finally held Loki's smooth hand in his own, a tear rolled down his cheek. "I can't lose you, I can't. I'm so sorry," he said, pulling Loki closer to embrace him.

Loki didn't move at first, frozen in place even as Tony hugged him and begged for forgiveness and shook against his body as he finally broke down. "Please, Loki. Say something, tell me it'll be okay... I just need a sign."

Who else did he have? Who else could ever love... Could put up with him? Could provide him with shelter and the warmth of a bed and keep up with his talks and bantering? He loved Tony Stark, even if he believed that it wasn't the same the other way around. 

**_"Fine, then it's over, whatever the fuck we were, it's done. We're through."_ **

Loki wrapped his arms around Tony, almost mechanically, his arms heavy and weak. He'd never forget those words, not for as long as he lived.

Tony took it as a sign that Loki would forgive him, that they would be alright, but after a few days, a week, a month, he knew he had just fractured their relationship for good.

Loki's eyes never shone as brightly as they did before.


	3. Death Won't Break Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For a while, Tony thought he’d be alright. He could live like this, with him, in this time, and things would be alright. But they never were, were they?
> 
>  
> 
> Inspired by [this wonderful piece](http://bringmelokismjolnir.tumblr.com/post/27114215951/amywinterbreeze-with-so-many-frostiron) of art. Courtesy of [amywinterbreeze.](http://amywinterbreeze.tumblr.com/)

Tony’s always hated the graveyard, because seriously who the fuck likes graveyards anyway? He remembers that all the shittiest things to have happened to him involved graveyards, some of those things that he can’t explain, and sometimes he thinks he’s gone off the deep end, so he doesn’t tell anyone. He toughened up, accepted his loneliness and flaunted it like a shield. Tony Stark - doesn’t play well with others, hollow, heartless, incomplete.

But, sometimes he could swear that he heard things. When his parents were taken from him there’d been nobody left. Nothing emphasized all alone like that. He remembered tip-toeing around their graves - and hearing their voices. He could hear his father’s disappointment, his mother’s crying, their shouting, the glasses breaking -

He heard it all.

When he tried to visit when he was older, the air seemed to grow chillier, the sky seemed to darken, voices called out to him - all these things that Tony couldn’t explain, didn’t explain, never wanted to explain - until he met Loki.

And words couldn’t possibly describe what occurred between them, but for once, Tony Stark was not alone.

Loki was the stove that was too hot to touch but you burned your hand anyway, the piece of candy you weren’t supposed to have before bed, the stranger that you weren’t supposed to talk to, and all of this was how Tony Stark found himself in the god’s arms.

There weren’t words for it, just touches here and there, their embraces, their breaths on each other’s flesh, their fingers intertwined, their synchronized breathing at night as they lay side by side.

For a while, Tony thought he’d be alright. He could live like this, with him, in this time, and things would be alright. But they never were, were they?

This was Tony’s life. A life made to break someone, to test them.

And this is how Tony found himself in a graveyard again. This is how Tony found himself alone again.

As the rain poured down on them, he held on for dear life to the only who completed him, who made Tony’s heart beat, because he had one - he had a heart, and it was Loki who showed him that. Loki. The man dying in his arms, the man whose blood was flowing over his exposed flesh like scalding syrup. The man who fell to his knees, defeated at last, whose eyes were no longer a brilliant shining green but a haunting, dead grey.

“Farewell, Stark.”

“No. No, no, no. This isn’t goodbye. This isn’t, you hear me? I’ll fix this. I’ll save you.”

A deep, struggling breath.

“Stay with me, Loki. Please, please, stay with me. Don’t go. I need you, here, with me, because without… Without you I’m broken. We’re… We’re supposed to be us. You can’t go.” A choke, a sob.

“Death won’t break us.”

Stillness, as the next breath never came, no matter how hard Tony willed it to come, no matter how much Tony prayed to a God he had defied for years, no matter how hard Tony clung onto the man’s blood-soaked shoulders, no matter how bitter the tears he shed were.


	4. Gone Forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Tony?!” Loki’s voice was a mere wail of desperation as he ripped off the golden face plate, revealing the beaten, battered, sweat-slicked man covered with scraps and cuts, a particular deep gash prominent on his forehead.
> 
>  
> 
> Inspired by [this lovely work of art.](http://bringmelokismjolnir.tumblr.com/post/27185573861/amywinterbreeze-sing-for-absolution-i-will-be) Courtesy of the [amywinterbreeze.](http://amywinterbreeze.tumblr.com/)

Things weren’t supposed to be this way - their team wasn’t supposed to be divided, their mission wasn’t supposed to be this difficult, and this warehouse wasn’t supposed to be burning to the ground. Where, oh where did it go so wrong?

Tony’s head was pounding, the aching inevitable and the copper stench of his blood was filling his nose, unable to escape through the sealed face plate. His head was dizzy from the loss of blood, and for once he was afraid of dying, of burning to death; afraid of leaving something behind. He couldn’t move, the short circuited suit a complete dead weight on his tired, sore limbs, and his heart racing too quickly for its own good. He alternated between calling over the communication links, and calling for Loki, but he tried the latter twice as much without a doubt. A mantra in his mind called for his love, his saviour, and he caught himself praying to God - the only god he believed in. The God of Mischief and Lies, and for all Tony cared, the God of Power and Love and Everything Sinfully Beautiful.

There was faint crackling static in his ear, and he was glad he had taken the spare earpiece instead of relying on JARVIS this time.

“Anyone out there?” he asked, his voice raspy and cracked from the punch he had taken in the throat earlier. He suspected that the smoke from the burning building around him wasn’t helping much either.

Just a moment later he heard a faint swishing noise and hurried footsteps, and Tony felt himself instantly calm down the slightest bit. Those footsteps were light, almost too quiet, as if the runner glided across the surface, and Tony had heard them every morning padding from the bed to the bathroom or to the kitchen to make them both breakfast. He let out the breath he didn’t know he was holding, opened his mouth in a wordless scream, pushing his vocal chords to speak, but all that came out was a strangled cry of agony.

“Tony?!” Loki’s voice was a mere wail of desperation as he ripped off the golden face plate, revealing the beaten, battered, sweat-slicked man covered with scraps and cuts, a particular deep gash prominent on his forehead.

“Hey, beautiful,” he responded in true Tony Stark fashion, and Loki let out a huff before assessing the damage.

“I was so worried…” Loki started. He furrowed his eyes shut as he telepathically sent the rest of the Avengers his location and the state of Tony’s health, pleading with the Norns that someone would get to them in time. It was draining the last of his energy, but there was nothing more he could do.

“Just give a me a kiss, already,” Tony demanded rather impatiently.

Loki granted him that before the faint magic glow of his hands swept over Tony’s body, trying to locate where most of his injuries were. When the torso piece finally came off, Loki exhaled sharply as his chest began to rise and fall harshly with the efforts of trying to prevent his tears from spilling, the rest of the suit forgotten.

Tony already knew. Tony had known from the moment he crashed through the ceiling of the burning warehouse after the blow to his chest. He felt the arc reactor give out as soon as Crimson Dynamo’s fist landed on its target.

“I can get you back in time, I can get us back…” Loki stammered, pulling for energy around him, and coming up short and exhausted.

“No, Loki-“

“Don’t!” Loki snapped. “Don’t tell me that!”

Tony winced as he remembered what happened the last time Loki had heard those exact words.

“Hey, I’m sorry,” he said softly as he looked up at Loki through stinging eyes. The god too looked worse for wear, cuts and lacerations riddled across his flawless face, those normally brilliant, fiery eyes now shone with worry and guilt.

“No, Tony, we don’t have time for this. We have to go. Now,” Loki pleaded, trying to pull the man up.

Tony screamed out in pain, causing Loki to set him back on the floor gently an kneeling beside him again.

“I - I can’t,” Tony panted, his tears spilling from the corners of his eyes. “Nothing’s holding the shrapnel back now, I’ve only got a few minutes, maybe only ten seconds if I try to move.”

“No…” Loki pleaded, choking on a sob. “Tony… Just - Just hang on, please. Someone will come soon, and everything’s going to be okay.”

“For the God of Lies, you’re really sucking at it,” Tony retorted.

“I’m not lying!” Loki cried in frustration, knowing that deep down inside, he was, and Tony knew.

“It’s okay, Loki. I’ll be okay. Just remember that I…” his eyelids fluttered closed for a moment before he opened them to stare at the one thing he truly wanted to see last. Summoning what little he could, Tony reached up with a robotic arm to caress the moonlight-kissed cheek. “I…lo…love…you.” His breathing was staggering and Loki whimpered, refusing to break the stare with those lively chocolate eyes. With the last of his strength, he smiled up at the man who had given him a second chance to be happy.

“Tony…” Loki tried to protest as he too the metal wrist in his own trembling fingers, keeping it pressed to his cheek. But, like smoke from a candle, he could see the life fleeing from Tony’s eyes. “I love you, too,” he finally managed, his tears falling from his cheeks with a soft pit-pat on the metal beneath him, not knowing if the man inside even heard him, wishing he had said it over and over again earlier.

He let his body shake with tears as he let the world burn around them.

All too late, the rest of the team had shown up one after another all looking ragged and near death, but this was how they found Loki. His back to them, shoulders heaving, kneeling in a pool of blood, metal, and tears.

Tony Stark was gone forever.


	5. For Us Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> totally out of character for me, but I really, really needed the fluff in my life. Consider this a prompt:
> 
>   
> Thank you [](http://frost-iron-headcanons.tumblr.com>frost-iron-headcanons.</a>)

Loki's body was perfect against his; the unblemished ashen skin that went on for miles was flush against his, a blanket of winter's kiss on top of his own sweat-slicked body. They moved in perfect harmony, their breaths in sync, their fingers locked together as Loki buried his nose in Tony's neck, teeth and lips marking the man underneath him: mine.

"Loki," Tony whispered, his eyes fluttering open and closed, his toes curling, muscles tensing.

"Tony," he replied with his voice so soft that Tony felt he could've melted in the god's arms.

"Don't leave, you can't leave, I - I'll never make it without you," he admitted shamefully. He never, in a thousand years, would have thought that he would ever utter those words - to a villain of all people.

"I promise," he said with a small kiss on Tony's parted lips.

With that, Tony let himself go, his orgasm causing explosions in his mind, stars in his eyes, and the beautiful bliss that washed over felt like safety for the first time in years.

With the way they wrapped themselves around each other, you would've thought them to be lovers over a century's time. 

 

And then, Loki was called back to Asgard. 

 

\--

 

"He won't come out of his lab," Bruce mentioned.

"That's not unusual," Natasha said knowingly having worked for Stark what seemed like years ago. 

"Well he's not... He's not actually doing anything down there."

"What do you mean he's not doing anything down there?"

"He just stares at his computer screen, doesn't type, doesn't move."

"That's strange," she admitted after a while. "Even for him."

"Yeah."

They should have known then.

 

\--

 

He couldn't pinpoint the moment he fell apart. 

The moment Loki left, of course - but when? The moment he flipped over to bring Loki close, only to grasp cold air? The moment he opened his eyes to stare at the concave dip where Loki should have been? Or even before - the moment he realized he wasn't being wrapped in lean, powerful arms? 

No.

It was the moment in the middle of the night when his mind had still been wrapped in dreams, when he felt a press of cool, thin lips and a hoarse whisper of "I'm sorry".

 

\--

 

The drinking was slowly picking up again, even beyond what Pepper was used to. He wouldn't pick up his calls, wouldn't even walk out in public. JARVIS had been muted in his room, and in his lab - they were the only places he would be spotted in anyway.

He stared at Loki then - the Loki whose eyes were blue as the sky, grin as feral as a starving wolf's. He stared at the Loki what-should-have-been-now - the Loki whose genuine smile touched the corners of his stunning emerald eyes.

 

 _Don't leave, you can't leave, I - I'll never make it without you._ He takes the last sip, closing his eyes at too-familiar burn down his throat. 

 

_I promise._

 

He poured himself another drink. He'd lost count of how man he'd had, but he figured it just didn't matter any more. 

 

\--

 

"What has happened to you? Has your machine failed you?" was the first thing Thor had said to Tony upon seeing him, gesturing to Tony's chest.

The only others in the room were Bruce and Steve, the two assassins having gone on a mission together. 

"Yeah," Tony answered absent-mindedly, pouring more scotch from his decanter into the tumbler he had emptied twice already.

"Tony -" Steve started before Thor interrupted him.

"I will bring this matter to the Allfather. It is quite an unusual request, but you have played a great role in saving the realm I had taken under my protection, as well as a playing a large part in helping reform my brother."

Nobody caught the way Tony's hand trembled slightly at the mention of Loki, nor that he seemed to guzzle the amber liquid. 

 

\--

 

The next time Thor comes, he brings Loki with him - and that's something the Avengers aren't ready for.

"Thor -" Steve starts, but his words die the moment he sees Loki. Sees his punctured lips, to be exact.

"Captain, where has our friend Tony gone?"

Loki's eyes are flickering around the room, skipping entirely over Bruce and Steve who refused to even blink with Loki in the facility. 

"Thor, do you really think this is the best idea?" Steve asks hesitantly. "Last time Loki was here, he threw Tony out of a window."

 _That's what you think,_ were there words behind Loki's glare, the god refusing to speak until he saw who he was there to see.

"My father has expressed his concern for our brother-in-arms, though he believes that Loki has more knowledge of this technology than anyone besides Stark, and he is gifted in the arts of seiðr. If he is able to help, Father will... re-think Loki's punishment."

Punishment. The scarred, tissue around Loki's mouth - a mess that was barely healing.

"Loki?" 

The raven-haired god whipped around so quickly his hair flung to hit Thor in the face.

"Loki! Holy fuck, what did they do to you?!" He cried, trying to run over but stumbling over his feet. Two powerful, lean arms caught him, held him. 

"Tony," Loki murmured into the mess of brown hair. He closed his eyes to inhale the familiar scent - yet that was not what met him. Pulling away rather abruptly, he stared at Tony's bloodshot eyes, the scruff of his beard that clearly hadn't been shaven, and automatically knew the problem. It wasn't his arc reactor at all.

"Why?" Loki whispered, barely audible above Tony's quiet sobs. The other Avengers watched with wide eyes and gaping mouths - they couldn't believe what they were seeing! Tony... and Loki? They just couldn't fathom that they ever developed a friendship, let alone one that had obviously progressed into something so much more.

"I... I needed to -"

"No. You don't. You're better than this, you deserve better than this," Loki pleaded, gently rubbing Tony's heaving shoulders. "Please, Tony. You have to stop. Stop. For me?" he added, the smallness of his voice enough, the gentle kiss he placed upon Tony's quivering lips, the way his thumb stroked Tony's neck affectionately - it all shattered any defiance Tony may have had. They ignored Steve's quiet mumble in perfect contrast with the surprised shout that Thor gave.

"Just stay, please, just stay," Tony said, his voice muffled in Loki's shoulders, refusing to let go of the man he - 

"I never wanted to leave, and I promise I won't leave again," Loki promised, cradling the broken man in one arm, carding his free hand through the tousled hair, trying to calm the man down, ignoring his own tears that had built up. "I never truly left you, Tony. I did this to come back to you, to stay with you. I had to accept this punishment, and the only thing that got me through was the thought of coming home to you."

\- the man he loved, he realized. 

 

"So please Tony, stop this. Give me someone to _come home to_."

With a deep, shuddering breath, Tony whispered, "I promise."


	6. Hallowe'en, Take Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Consider this a prompt, to mark the lovely occasion coming up!  
> 

“Babe, we talked about this, remember?” Tony asked as Loki tucked the fake cauldron underneath his arm, slender fingers mingling in the assorted sweets.

“Yes, yes,” Loki sighed, rolling his eyes. 

“No touching this one, okay?” he reminded Loki again.

“You have my word, Stark.”

Tony grinned. Loki only ever used the “Stark” when he got mildly annoyed. It had taken weeks to get the god to call him just “Tony”. Though, if he ever heard Loki use “Anthony Edward Stark”, he knew he was as good as dead. 

Tony watched as Loki slowly rolled a piece of toffee around his tongue, mesmerized by the lines of the powerful jaw working the tough candy. He swallowed, flicking the faceplate of his suit down - because what better costume than the Iron Man, right? 

The first kids came in a group of five, gasping in awe and asking to touch the suit.

“Of course you can, come on, check this out…”

It continued a few more rounds before there was finally a break. Tony took the opportunity to check on his super-powered formerly evil boyfriend. 

“Hey, Loki -” he didn’t bother with the rest of his sentence before bursting into laughter.

Loki furrowed his brow, expression obvious enough. Still, he asked. “What on Asgard are you throwing a fit over?”

“No-nothing,” Tony snorted. “JARVIS, please take a picture of our resident god.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Anthony Ed-” Tony cut him off with a quick kiss, tongue flicking to the corner of Loki’s mouth.

“Mmm, Hershey’s. Excellent choice.”

Loki blinked at Tony, and perhaps if he had the ability to be embarrassed, he would’ve. “I was getting to it,” he huffed.

“Sure you were,” Tony winked before another ring proceeded to interrupt them. “One sec,” he said with another quick kiss before flipping the faceplate back down and performing his duty.

“Trick-or-treat!” the two girls cried in unison.

“Here you go,” Tony responded, dipping his hand in the candy pot. To his surprise, there was none left. “What?” he asked himself, looking down. He _knew_ he had more left. 

The high-pitched shrieks from his guests brought his attention back, but they were already running off as fast as their legs could carry them. 

“Hey!” he called out, but they were long gone. He turned around to see a terrifying display of what seemed to be a real fire demon, the flames so realistic that he could almost imagine his suit melting off of him. It only took him a split second to put the puzzle pieces together. “Lokiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!” he shouted, taking the helmet off. Sure enough, the god of mischief spread himself out across the couch, his cauldron now replenished with candy. 

“Didn’t we have an agreement?” he said, throwing his hands in the air. 

“I gave you word that I would not touch your pot,” Loki smirked.

_Oh. That bastard._

“You clever little…”

Loki hooked a finger on the his armour, right below his neck, and yanked him downward on the couch, which dipped with the added weight. “Clever little what?” Loki challenged with an arched eyebrow and half-lidded eyes.

“Haaaaaaaaaaaaangurh,” Tony said nonsensically, _pretending_ to be tongue-tied. 

“Very elegant, Tony,” Loki grinned before bringing Tony in for a sweet, chocolate-tinged kiss. “Let’s make our way to your bed, what do you say?” he all but purred.

“Let’s make every day Halloween.” 

“Would you still chastise me for wanting more than my share of sweets?”

“Every goddamn piece of candy in this house is yours.” 

Stark Towers never handed out candy again.


	7. Diet With Loki

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> crack/humour  
> For this headcanon:
> 
>  

“In Asgard, the winner of such competitions is practically royalty - though I am royalty, so it didn’t change much,” Thor said, smiling at his memories. Natasha rolled her eyes. 

“How does Asgard afford to feed you?” Clint asked bewilderedly, staring at the heaping pile assorted foods between the two superhumans. He was almost envious of the spread, but a small part of him thought that he was cheating on his delicious chicken panini just by looking at it. 

“Currency? In the realm eternal? Becomes redundant after a few centuries wouldn’t you think?” Loki quipped as he sashayed in the room in his black flannel bottoms and one of Tony’s t-shirts, said billionaire following close behind. Clint contemplated this with a few chews before accepting it.

“Ah, brother! You are just in time to see our challenge!” Thor announced. 

“Yes, I see that,” Loki sneered, though still pulling back Thor’s hair and calling an elastic from the kitchen to fly across the room and into his fingers where he quickly worked Thor’s hair into a small bun. “I suspect you wanted to eat your food, not sweep at it.”

Clint snickered into Bruce’s shoulder, causing him to drop a few cashews from his trail mix. 

Steve fetched plates for himself and Thor, inviting anyone else to their little eating contest.

“Please and thank you,” Loki said politely, pulling out a chair. This time Clint full out snorted, causing Natasha to shoot him a look of disgust over her chicken salad, and Bruce to pause, cup of coffee barely at his lips.

Tony walked over and draped himself lazily over the god’s shoulders. “Real cute, babe.” The next thing he knew, he was on his back like a helpless turtle, winded.

“Do not test me, Stark.”

“That is wonderful! I am glad you will be joining,” Thor beamed as Steve handed them their plates. “I cannot even remember the last time we feasted so gloriously!”

Loki ignored the overwhelming cheer radiating from his brother and heaped his plate high with the assorted offerings: ham, filets, steaks, mashed potatoes, corn, peas, chicken, steamed carrots, pasta, bread.

“Hey, we have dinner plans, remember? Take it easy!” Stark protested, but quickly shut up with a deadly glare from his sort-of boyfriend. 

“Come on, Loki, you’re not fooling anyone,” Clint teased, eyeing the thin, lean limbs. Tony had made his way back, rubbing his bruised back (and ego). “He’s not, right?” Clint asked Tony. 

“Trust me, I’ve seen the guy naked, and there’s not an ounce of fat on him,” Tony confirmed. 

“Too much info, dude.”

“Don’t be a baby. It’s not like I went into detail about how talented Loki’s mouth is, right babe?”

When there was no snarky reply, they went to see why he hadn’t replied - and saw that he was currently suckling the juices off his fingers over an empty plate. 

“What?” Clint asked dumbly. “Thor and Steve are on their second plates, right?” he asked Natasha.

The redhead shook her head, eyes still transfixed on the trio. “Nope, but Loki is.”

Loki had indeed begun piling his plate again, and only when he was half way done did Thor and Steve reach for more - with shock upon their faces.

“Well the signal from your stomach to your brain is delayed, so he may be eating fast but he’ll slow down in a few minutes with a stomach ache if he keeps it up,” Bruce chipped in.

However, in a very Loki-like manner, the god defied science and continued his rapid pace. By now, Steve had to abandon utensils all together if he even hoped to stay in this. With Loki piling his plate for the fifth time and still eating as though he had been starved, the others had given up on trying to explain it, and just sat back to watch the highly entertaining show.

“What trickery is this, Loki?”

“None.”

“Where are you storing this food?” Thor asked again with narrow eyes and potato smeared on his upper lip.

“Here,” Loki responded with a sharp jab to Thor’s stomach, his other hand curled around a cob of corn.

“M’so full,” Steve added, having wiped out his fifth plate. He had slouched in his chair - for the first time - and leaned his head back with his eyes closed as if he had been wounded. His hands laid on his stomach, and he pushed the plate away.

“Steve’s out then,” Bruce announced, taking joy in watching the super soldier with a metabolism _three times faster_ than a normal human’s duck out of an eating contest.

Thor had also slowed down completely, barely making any work of his sixth plate while Loki happily munched on his _eighth._

“How?” Thor growled, certain that Loki was cheating.

“My magic is exhausting,” Loki said nonchalantly. “And so is this,” he added, letting his Jotun skin glimmer for a moment before returning pale and bored. “And so is being the only one moving when engaging in coupled practices,” he shot a glare at Tony, who instantly slapped Clint for laughing and nudged Natasha with his foot for joining him. Bruce hid his smile behind his coffee cup.

“I was tired, okay? Not everyone is some Frosty the Snowman Harry Potter hybrid with an insatiable appetite,” Tony said grouchily. 

“I was merely making a jest, my semi-smart, monogamous one,” he returned. 

Clint honestly begins to wonder how good the sex is upon seeing Tony absolutely seething, but still keeping his mouth shut. Natasha, however, saw no use in being tactful.

“Tony Stark, shut up for once in his life and admitting to being fucked out? Jesus, how good is the sex…”

The question was ignored when Thor let out a burp that startled the group. He blushed before apologizing while Loki snickered, a fresh cob in his hand, and his ninth plate dwindling away to nothing. Thor’s plate had remained untouched. 

“This is foul play!” Thor declared, making a move to unravel Loki’s trick somehow, fumbling for Loki’s shirt to see if he had hidden something underneath. Loki promptly brought the half-eaten cob of corn down on Thor’s head before looking at it as if it had turned green and proceeded to poke his brother in the eye with it. 

“THAT IS MY EYE!” Thor cried as if Loki hadn’t known, clutching his right eye and tearing the corn (weapon) away from his brother. The younger god blinked at the loss of food before retrieving another one from the pile and starting anew.

“Oh my, the resemblance to Odin is uncanny,” Loki said with a very serious look at Thor, munching away.

Thor looked horrified for a second before fleeing the room in a huff. 

When Loki had cleaned his plate, he looked at the group were in various states between clutching their stomachs in laughter or dropping their jaws in amazement and looked at Tony.

“So, where are we going for dinner?”

—

That night, Tony lay gasping for air beside Loki, relatively in the same state. This time, he had moved, and dare he say, Loki looked rather content with his beautiful flush and halo of messy hair. 

Though Loki would never admit it, he enjoyed the afterglow, and pulled Tony close. The man made no objections, snuggling closer to lithe frame that smelled of sweat and sex. As he laid his head down on Loki’s chest, he looked down at the vast expanse of creamy skin, pulling taut across Loki’s still _flat_ stomach. The muscles were visible, lines defined and he couldn’t help but wonder just how on Earth Loki managed his feat. He trailed his skin up and down the smooth skin, watching the goosebumps rise on Loki’s skin. 

“We should go to an all-you-can-eat place one day,” Tony suggested.

He gathered that Loki liked the idea from the way he was being rolled over and the shuffling of sheets as Loki travelled downward.


	8. Just an Inch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The prompt:   
> A fic where Loki decides to cut his hair back to the Thor 1 length, and Tony is infatuated and can't stop admiring how young and beautiful he looks with shorter hair. Cause Thor 1 Loki is BEAUTIFUL. (from http://frost-iron.tumblr.com/post/77788280066/prompt-a-fic-where-loki-decides-to-cut-his-hair-back) 
> 
> ALL CRACK  
> SORRY

"Again, you look ridiculous"

"Again, did I ask for your opinion?"

"Didn’t need to - that ponytail coerced it out of me."

"This ponytail’s gonna do a lot more than that, you - "

”- Ooooh, I’m so scared. What are you gonna do, strangle me with your braid?”

"I’m tempted."

"i’m gonna change it from Reindeer Games to Rapunzel. Maybe Tangela. Or maybe Raggedy Ann."

"Did you just liken me to a plush toy?!"

"No, I likened you to a ragdoll, because that’s what you look like with your hair down."

"I will make you - "

"GUYS!" Steve bellowed, stepping between the trickster and Tony. "Please, let’s just make it home peacefully." 

"Amen," Clint muttered. Thor was smiling for some reason, giving the impression that this was how Loki was supposed to be. 

Loki as part of the team was a new - and extremely awkward, uncomfortable, unfamiliar, strange - development. At first, they thought fury was playing a joke, but then they became hyper-aware that Nick Fury did. not. joke. The only catch was that his powers were kept in check by identical bangles on both his wrists.

And thus, the team found itself with a newly bruised Loki on the team with Thor as an overly protective and happy guardian. He liked watching his brother work his way out of punishment, providing services to the planet he almost destroyed.

"I mean come on, even Natasha’s hair is shorter than yours."

"TONY!" 

"Alright, relax Cap. Just making a point."

The ride back was a very long, headache-inducing affair.

—-

"Doctor, do you think he’s right?"

"Um…" Bruce was taken off guard. He and Loki had been working quietly beside each other for an hour without a peep. "Sorry?"

"That scrap of metal," Loki all but snarled. "He commented on my hairstyle of choice - he called it ridiculous. And earlier this week he kept staring at it while we feasted and smirking. I do not understand, ponytails are very much a warrior’s tradition. Thor’s even has a braid on occasion!"

Bruce was absolutely perplexed. _Loki was asking his advice… on hair?_ “Well…. I’m not exactly… you know, an expert on that kind of stuff… I’m not really a trendy guy,” he said, gesturing to his plain and practical attire.

"But you are highly intelligent, I wish to know your opinion on this matter," Loki scowled, eyes staring intensely. 

Bruce panicked for a moment - what was he supposed to say? He didn’t want a pissed off god in his lab space, and what did he know about hair styles? ”Well, as you can see, I’m just more a keep-it-simple type of guy,” he pointed at his own head. “I keep mine short enough so it stays out of my eyes and that’s pretty much good enough for me!” Bruce added a small smile.

Loki gave a short hum. “I see. Thank you, doctor.”

Bruce smiled, muscles relaxing….

"And you missed this part of the equation."

… And felt them tense up again. 

—-

"Ms. Ro-"

"Just come in, Loki," she said in a flat voice. She heard his footsteps pacing around the hallway before he stopped outsider her door at last.

"Thank you. Do you have a free moment?"

"What do you need?" she asked, deadpanned. 

"A knife."

She cocked an eyebrow. “Seriously? You’re going to ask me for a weapon?” She was not amused.

"Knives are very versatile, I’ll have you know. In this instance they should not be considered weapons but rather…. aesthetic aid."

"Excuse me?"

"Earlier today the tin man made a comment about the style in which I wore my hair. I’ve noticed that he’s taken a liking to pointing at it every chance he gets and I wish to rid him of this pleasure."

Natasha snorted with an unexpected laugh. “You came to me… To ask for a dangerous weapon… To use them as scissors…. To cut your hair?” The situation was ridiculous.

Loki didn’t think so, apparently. “Well I would prefer to do this today, if you will.”

Natasha rolled her eyes at him. “There’s got to be a pair of scissors in the bathroom, Loki, just use those,” she said, pointing to the room down the hallway.

She shooed him out of her room to laugh at the situation more. _I’ve gotta text Clint…_

—-

The sink had inky locks scattered within it as Loki concentrated with the tip of the scissors. His cuts had been precise and he had taken Bruce’s advice - short and practical. So, he decided to cut it above his shoulder but just below his ear. The style was familiar, no doubt - back when times were happier and Frigga used to tell him the length suited his handsome face. He almost forgot those times existed, granted how complicated he had made things now. He sighed as he thought about the woman he called mother and continued to snip, snip, snip away. When he was satisfied, he cleaned the mess from the sink and the stray hairs on the floors and proceeded to rinse his hair out in the shower. 

Drying his hair was a different story. He recognized the device and the buttons seemed easy, but Loki was wary of the Midgardian technology. The hairdryer was loud and Loki nearly dropped it the first time before grasping the concept. He had to admit, it wasn’t all that bad but the constant heat was irritating him, forcing him to set it down while his hair was still damp. 

_No matter,_ he thought to himself, smoothing his hair back as he used to. It helped keep his hair in place anyway.

He did, however, find other Midgardian technologies fascinating, wanting to learn their uses. He came across a handheld device, that whirred softly when he turned it on. He noticed the blades spinning and thought it a weapon at first but realized they were too small to be of serious damage. Figuring he could handle a small test, he rolled up his arm and brought the device to his upper arm slowly. To his surprise, there was no pain upon contact, but when he lifted the device, a small patch of his arm hair was missing. Bringing it to the side of his face, he once again brought it slowly to his skin, marveling at the smooth whirring of the machine. It trimmed the stubborn sideburns and Loki was delighted, looking around the bathroom for more. He found a set of tweezers and nailclippers, testing them all before promptly plucking out his stray eyebrow hairs and clipping away the chipped nails that resulted from battle. Loki always paid attention to hygiene and he felt that Midgardian grooming was not so bad after all.

He made his way down the stairs when he heard Thor announcing that it was time for dinner.

—-

"So anyway, I’m telling Bruce -" Tony stops mid-sentence when Loki walks in the room. _Whabawhonow?_

"Am I going crazy or did Loki mucho change-o?" he whispered to Clint. 

Clint snickered. “Apparently he went to Nat for a knife to chop his locks. That guy’s fucking nuts.”

"Uh-huh. Yes. Nuts." _What?_ “I mean no. No nuts.” _What am I saying - Mouth, stop doing that thing you’re doing._

"What?" Clint asked.

"Um, nothing." 

Clint shrugged and Tony counted it as a crisis adverted. He watched Loki sit beside Thor, across the table the table and slightly to the right. Loki’s hand reached up to tuck his hair behind his ear even though his hair wasn’t astray. _It was literally perfect?!_

Tony ate at a much slower pace than normal, though his friends did not take much notice over their delight of Steve’s cooking. 

"What a killer shrimp marinade," Clint said, offering the captain props. The fistbump was much less awkward than the first fistbump Steve attempted (long story) and Clint was pleased by this. 

At this time, Tony noticed that Loki was staring at him, but looked away when Tony made eye contact. The worn-out looking Norse god now looked… well, like a _really handsome freakin’ human being._

The haircut must have reduced Loki’s age to 25 - without all the stringy hair surrounding his face, he looked much less pale, more alive. His eyes shone a little brighter without the looming shadow of his wild hair and his face seemed fuller now that all his hair was scrunched up on his head in that ridiculous ponytail. Even his hair looked healthier - straight, sleek, soft. Tony picture running his hands through it - without worry that they would get tangled in some mess. 

He took a long drink of his ice water as Loki watched him quizzically. His eyebrows arched perfectly, not hair out of place. Even his dirty looks had changed - they didn’t look so… murderous anymore. Just curious and young… So attractive and enticing. 

Tony felt something stir inside him and shook his head to clear his thoughts. 

Yet not a moment later, Tony was already picturing that goddamn perfect hair all messed up and upon his pillows.


End file.
